THE PANAGBENGA 2018 GRAND FLOAT PARADE

BAGUIO CITY November 22 – The local government and the Philippine Mine Safety and Environment Association (PMSEA) renewed their memorandum of agreement for the sustained maintenance of a PMSEA Park within the city's Botanical Garden to serve as a site to propagate endemic tree species to boost the attractions within one of the city's premier parks.

PMSEA president Engr. Louie Sarmiento, City Environment and Parks Management Officer (CEPMO) Cordelia Lacsamana, and Councilor Michael L. Lawana participated in the signing ceremonies. Mayor Mauricio G. Domogan was not present as he was in Malacañang attending a meeting of the officers of the League of Cities of the Philippines (LOCP) with President Rodrigo R. Duterte.

Under the renewed agreement, the PMSEA will be tasked to maintain some 3,000 square meters of the Botanical Garden to be known as the PMSEA Park where it will serve as a site for the massive propagation of endemic tree species while the local government will assist in the maintenance of the park and provide adequate lighting facilities within the area to prevent vandals from burglarizing the place.

It can be recalled that in 2010 the PMSEA and the local government signed a memorandum of agreement for the maintenance of the PMSEA Park for a 5-year period which expired in 2015.

Despite the absence of a renewed agreement, the PMSEA continued to maintain the designated PMSEA Park over the past two years until the renewal of the agreement last Tuesday which will have a lifespan of another 5 years.

Sarmiento also assured the local government that it remains committed to pursue its long overdue commitment to put up a tunnel-like structure within Mines View Park to showcase the benefits of mining to the growth and development of the country through the past several decades.

According to him, the proposal, which will be funded by the PMSEA with the support of the Philippine Society of Mining Engineers and other interested mining companies, will serve as a value added for Mines View Park so that people will have the experience of going through the tunnel and witness what is inside and the activities going on to put justice to the park's name.

The PMSEA official claimed that the plans for the project has been ready for quite some time and that the go-signal for the implementation of the project is what is being awaited from the local government, considering the reported adjustments that should be done due to the simultaneous implementation of the park's rehabilitation.

Engr. Felizardo Gacad of the Cordillera office of the Mines and Geosciences Bureau (MGB-CAR) said that Philex Mining Corporation committed to help fund the implementation of the tunnel-like structure to provide visitors and residents alike with a worthwhile experience on what is responsible mining.

The PMSEA is a volunteer organization of various mining industry stakeholders who have the common advocacy on responsible mining and that responsible mining is doable for the greeter interest of the majority of the populace.